Current Dancing Across Borders information is available at it's new website, Dancing Across Borders
What is Dancing Across Borders?
Dancing Across Borders is a non profit organization.
It’s aim is to develop dance and movement work across the borders between countries, between levels of economic development, between ages, between languages, etc.
The main tool is 5 Rhythms™ Dance, a wonderful tool to work with all ages and all backgrounds. It is both a way to free the body, the heart and the mind, to nourish creativity, the capacity to learn, to change, to adapt and simply be. It teaches us new ways to be with ourselves, with others, in our community, and can also support the development of individual and collective projects.
Where?
Our first project is to teach teenagers in the poor district of Mesang in Cambodia. After a successful first experience (see Photos and Texts), we want to continue the work there and develop projects with those students, with new groups, and with CLA (Children and Love Association, a Cambodian organisation created by Saman Buth). Another project is to work with challenged teenagers in Bangkok, in collaboration with Dr Usanee Anuruthwong, and our third project to offer the dance work in refugee camps at the Thai border.
Why bring dance to people who need basics?
Yes, some kids in the Mesang district need food, some of them need help to get the basics of education, and all of them need help if they are to get university education; unlucky ones badly need medical help for dengue fever, hepatitis or AIDS. And thank God there are NGOs that fund that kind of projects (except for funds for university and if anyone is interested in setting that up for the Mesang district, I will be happy to put them in contact with CLA).
Does it mean it is only fit to bring in dance and personal development once people are successful at surviving?
That is not my experience. Being with those teenagers, who often come from very poor families and sometimes from seriously dysfunctional ones on top, and dancing with them, has made me realise that the heart and the soul are always ready to thrive, whatever the level of survival achieved. And although it was always my intuition, I only realised how true it is when I translated the words these 13 to 17 year old children wrote about the dance, about their experience of the dance, and discovered incredible jewels, (see Writing section). I wouldn’t be good at organising food or health, but I am good at offering a place where the body, the heart and the soul can come in alignment and the essence of a person has an opportunity to thrive. And when I see their smiling faces, their joy, their inspired dances, I know that it has meaning to bring this work to them (see Photos). It gives me the courage to continue developing this project.
How you can help ...
I worked with those children in Cambodia for a month and CLA gave me all it could: a room and food and a little money. And I felt that I was weighing quite heavily on their budget. There is no way they can pay for the costs of my travels and expenses, there and at home. I have found that in those places where there is so much lacking, there is also space for miracles to happen, for exquisite seeds to grow and I really want to make this the core of my work life. So I will happily receive any funds to support my work there. The development of the projects will depend on how much funding we receive. See account information in the side bar.
And if you don’t have enough money to contribute, maybe you know people who do, so please let them know about our work. Word of mouth is the best publicity. You can also come to my workshops in Europe or offer to organise workshops in your neighbourhood (see Workshops- Europe)
What are the 5 Rhythms™?
The 5 Rhythms were created by Gabrielle Roth (see 5Rhythms or Moving Center School or UK Moving Center School ).
The 5 rhythms are a map of movement that can apply to various areas of life. To give you an idea, let us imagine a project for a village community.
Flowing, the first rhythm, teaches us the art of gathering information, ideas, resources from different people involved in the community, receiving them and letting them brew for a while.
Staccato, the 2nd rhythm, teaches us the art of organising, designing, planning, finding the means to get the project going, it blows on the fire of creation.
In chaos,
the 3rd rhythm, we learn to let go and follow the project’s organic development, letting the unknown be part of our life, letting the wave carry us, so that in lyrical, the 4th rhythm,
when the realisation of the project finally arrives, we can taste the fruits of our efforts and rejoice in the richness of life.
And finally, in the 5th rhythm, stillness
, we can let the whole experience become a part of us, let all its teachings nourish our selves, our relationships, our community, so that we may move on to the next project or the next phase of that same project, knowing that we are already richer.
At the same time as the participants move, dance, explore and have fun, they are acquiring resources for their entire life.
